10 Keys to Unlock Optimal Brain Health

10 Keys to Optimal Brain Health

1. A Good Diet: You are what you eat, so eat the right brain foods. Listen to our episode on what they are here.
   ‍
2. Kill ANTs: This comes from Dr. Daniel Amen, author of Use Your Brain to Change Your Age. ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts like, “I’m not smart enough” or, “I have a bad memory.” I read in a book once that your brain is a supercomputer, and your self-talk is the program it will run. So program your computer well! Remember, your mind is always eavesdropping on your self-talk. And if you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.
   ‍
3. Exercise: As your body moves, your brain grooves. Research shows that anything that’s good for your heart is good for your brain. People who exercise have better blood flow and oxygen in their brains, and perform better on mental acuity tests.
   ‍
4. Brain Nutrients: If you have a fast lifestyle and you don’t get the nutrients you need from your diet, you can help your brain with the right supplements.
   ‍
5. Positive Peer Group: Your brain potential is enhanced by your social networks. Who you spend time with is who you become so make sure the people you’re spending time with individuals who are good for your brain and your life.
   ‍
6. Clean Environment: Don’t you focus better when you have an uncluttered desk? Your external world is a reflection of your internal world.
   ‍
7. Sleep: Exercise breaks down muscles; sleep regenerates them. A good night’s sleep will help you focus, think more clearly, and make better decisions. It’s also essential for your memory because during sleep is when you consolidate short to long-term memory.
   ‍
8. Brain Protection: Your brain is resilient, but also very fragile. Protect your most valuable asset by avoiding extreme sports and always wearing a helmet.
   ‍
9. New Learnings: You can grow older, but you can grow better. You can create new brain cells through neurogenesis until the day you die. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to create new connections. Einstein didn’t have a bigger brain, but he did have more connections than most people.The keys for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis are nutrients and novelty. You want to add stress and stimulus via exercise and nutrients via new learnings. In fact, a famous study done on nuns found they remained agile as they grew old partly because of their faith and partly because they were lifelong learners.
   ‍
10. Stress Management When you’re stressed, you go into fight-or-flight mode and release cortisol and adrenaline. This is good if you need to flee a tiger, but not if you need to take a test or give a presentation. Nowadays, we are more stressed than ever. So stress management is crucial.

This is all common sense, but it’s not common practice. Pay attention: what are you good at? What are you neglecting?

Do them all and you’ll level up your learning AND life with your ‘kwik,’ fit brain.

Stay tuned! In a future episode, you’ll learn how to memorize these keys forward AND backwards.